Ministry of Defence

Afghanistan: Refugees

Baroness Coussins: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will reassess unsuccessful applications for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy from individual members of the Afghan Territorial Force 444 and Commando Force 333 in the light of continued evidence of vulnerability to violent reprisals from the Taliban against them and their families.

The Earl of Minto: All unsuccessful ARAP applicants, including those made by former members of the Afghan Armed Forces such as Afghan Territorial Force 444 and Commando Force 333, have the right to request a review within 90 days of receipt of their outcome letter.We continue to prioritise finding remaining eligible applicants and relocating them as quickly as we can. As of 28 November 2023, we have relocated 13,300 individuals and family members since the scheme began.

Ministry of Defence: Hate Crime

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the allegations of sexism, misogyny and sexual assault in the Ministry of Defence, in a recent letter sent in October which included testimonies from 60 female civil servants at the Ministry of Defence.

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to commission an independent investigation into the culture of sexism and misogyny at the Ministry of Defence, as called for by the FDA trade union.

The Earl of Minto: We already have strong insight into unacceptable behaviours and their impact within the Armed Forces from the Parliamentary Inquiry led by Sarah Atherton MP in 2021, together with the Wigston Review in 2019, and the review led by former non-executive Director Danuta Gray. Our responses to the House of Commons Defence Committee’s Women in the Armed Forces Inquiry in particular set out the significant work that has been carried out to implement their recommendations and build continuous improvement into our approach to policy, culture and behaviours. However, we recognise there is more to do, particularly for our civilian women. We are taking forward a detailed action plan to build on our current work, amplifying the voices of our women and further embedding the change they rightly demand of us.The action plan includes support from two Non-Executive Directors, and senior colleagues from other Government Departments. It will also draw on wider national security cultural inquiry work and the experience of partner organisations, for example considering their approach to independent ethics counsellors, as a source of external advice and support. The Department has no current plans to commission an independent investigation.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Baroness Coussins: To ask His Majesty's Government how many members of the Afghan Territorial Force 444 and Commando Force 333 have (1) qualified for relocation to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, and (2) been told they are ineligible under that policy.

The Earl of Minto: As of 28 November, we have relocated 13,300 ARAP Eligible Principals (EPs) and their family members to safety in the UK under the ARAP scheme and have approximately 6,000 eligible persons and family members remaining to relocate to the UK. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of these figures by job role or specific unit. Not all former members of the Afghan Armed Forces, including specific units such as Afghan Territorial Force 444 and Commando Force 333, will automatically be eligible for ARAP. Each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis on its own merits and in line with published policy. We are prioritising finding remaining eligible applicants and relocating them as quickly as we can.

Department for Business and Trade

Religious Freedom: Employment

Baroness Cox: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to encourage (1) UK corporations, (2) and corporations which contract with the Government, to adopt Faith-and-Belief Friendly workplaces as part of Diversity and Inclusion standards.

Lord Offord of Garvel: To support employers to create faith and belief friendly workplaces, Acas has produced Guide on Religion or belief discrimination: key points for the workplace. This guide offers employers, managers, HR professionals, employees, employee/trade union representatives and job applicants a grounding in how to reduce the chance of religion or belief discrimination happening in the workplace, how it might still occur and how it should be dealt with if it does happen.

Trade Agreements: Dispute Resolution

Lord McNicol of West Kilbride: To ask His Majesty's Government how manytimes the UK has been subject to legal action through investor-state dispute settlement which has been brought either individually or as part of a wider claim; how many times such claims have been successful against the UK; and what was the legal costs of defending those claims.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: The UK has investment agreements with Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions with around 90 trading partners. There has never been a successful ISDS claim brought against the UK, nor has any claim reached arbitral proceedings for the UK to defend.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Islamophobia

Baroness Cox: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent rise in Islamophobia (1) in Europe, and (2) globally; and what discussions they have had with EU counterparts to prevent Islamophobia.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. We monitor the situation for religious and non-religious communities globally and work multilaterally and bilaterally to promote FoRB, including with our EU partners. The UK condemned the incidents of Quran burning in Europe earlier this year, recognising the deep hurt felt by Muslims across the world, and we unequivocally denounce hatred and incitement of violence on the basis of religion or belief. We are committed to both freedom of expression and FoRB and will continue to promote mutual respect between different communities.

Spain: British Nationals Abroad

Lord Moynihan: To ask His Majesty's Government what position they took during discussions betweenthe Spanish acting Minister of Industry, and Foreign Office officials in November in which the 90-day cap on the stay of British tourists in Spain was discussed; and whether any agreement was reached.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Spanish Tourism Minister met with Foreign Office officials in November to discuss tourism. British tourists in Spain are treated as third country nationals under the EU's Schengen Borders Code. As such, they are able to travel visa-free for short stays of up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period. UK travellers applying for visas to visit or stay in Spain for longer periods of time are processed according to Spanish domestic law, reflecting the UK's position as a non-EU Member State. Whilst the UK government would welcome any changes to visa systems that benefit UK nationals, this is a matter for national governments and parliaments. We are not currently negotiating any reciprocal agreements.

France: British Nationals Abroad

Lord Moynihan: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with their French and European counterparts about the prospect of an automatic visa entitlement for British nationals who own a second home in France.

Lord Moynihan: To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports that the French Senate has approved a bill amendment giving British second-home owners in France an automatic long-stay visa right without any formalities, whether they would support reciprocal rights; and what assessment they have made of the prospects that any such agreement would be successfully implemented.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK government regularly discusses citizens' rights with French and other European counterparts.Whilst the UK government would welcome any changes to visa systems that would benefit UK nationals, this is a matter for national governments and parliaments. We are not currently negotiating any reciprocal agreements.We will continue to follow the passage of the French Immigration Bill closely and stand ready to inform British nationals of any changes which may affect them, should they become law.

EU Countries: British Nationals Abroad

Lord Moynihan: To ask His Majesty's Government whether member countries of the EU can reach independent agreements with the UK about the rights of British part year residents post-Brexit without recourse to the EU Commission.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK's Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU confirms that both the UK and EU currently provide for visa-free travel for short-term visits for each other's nationals in accordance with their respective laws.British citizens are treated as third country nationals under the Schengen Borders Code. As such, they are able to travel visa-free for short stays of up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period. Stays beyond the EU's 90 in 180 days visa-free allocation is for individual Member States to decide and implement through domestic entry rules and visa arrangements for non-EU citizens.Where competency lies for agreements between EU Member States and third countries is a matter between the European Commission and Member States.The Government continues to engage regularly with the European Commission and EU Member States on a wide range of mobility-related issues.

Russia: Sanctions

Baroness Goudie: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking with respect to the effective enforcement of sanctions against Russian entities and individuals.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to ensuring that our sanctions are robustly enforced and potential breaches are investigated and appropriate action taken. Departments from across HMG including HMT (through the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI)), HMRC, Home Office, and NCA, are working together, and with UK companies, to promote compliance and ensure that sanctions are enforced.Since 2022, HMRC has imposed fines in excess of £1.3 million to five UK companies relating to the unlicensed trade of goods in breach of the Russia sanctions regime. In August, OFSI also published an enforcement notice against Wise Payments Limited (Wise), a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulated company, for breaching Russia sanctions by making funds available to a company owned or controlled by a designated person.The Government announced a new Economic Deterrence Initiative in the 2023 Integrated Review Refresh. With funding of up to £50 million over two years, the initiative is maximising the impact of our trade, transport and financial sanctions, including by improving our sanctions implementation and enforcement.

Myanmar: Rohingya

Baroness Goudie: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the Myanmar military is implementing the provisional measures set out by the International Court of Justice in The Gambia v. Myanmar case, in which they recently filed their declaration of intervention.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is aware of concerns that Myanmar is not meeting its obligations, under a Provisional Measures Order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), to protect the Rohingya. We are clear that Myanmar must comply with the Provisional Measures Order. On 15 November, the UK jointly filed a declaration of intervention at the ICJ in The Gambia's case alleging Myanmar has perpetrated genocide against the Rohingya, in order to set out our interpretation of the relevant provisions of the Genocide Convention before the Court. We reiterate that there must be accountability for the atrocities committed in Myanmar against the Rohingya.

Ukraine: NATO Enlargement

Baroness Goudie: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their current position in relation to Ukraine joining NATO.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: At the 2023 Vilnius Summit, the UK and Allies made clear that Ukraine's future is in NATO. The UK is committed to supporting Ukraine on its path towards future membership, including through NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package, to which we have contributed £82 million.

International Conference on Population and Development

Baroness Northover: To ask His Majesty's Government, ahead of the 30-year review of the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action, what progress they have made since 1994 on sexual and reproductive health and rights in their international work.

Lord Benyon: The UK Government continues to use its diplomatic and development levers to drive progress and demonstrate leadership on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) globally and the recently released White Paper on International Development reaffirmed the UK's commitment to deploy policy and investment to advance and strongly defend universal access to comprehensive SRHR.As the largest donor to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Supplies Programme, the Partnership averted 8 million unintended pregnancies, 2.2 million unsafe abortion and 170,000 maternal and child deaths in 2022 alone. Since 2018, UK aid support to the Women's Integrated Sexual Health Programme has supported 9.5 million women to use modern methods of contraception and, in 2021, over 12,000 maternal deaths and 1.8 million unsafe abortions were averted.This year, the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights ranked the UK highest in the region (91.3 per cent) for our commitment to achieving SRHR for all, including our domestic laws and policies, and our overseas development assistance dedicated to progressing comprehensive SRHR for all.

Nigeria: Development Aid

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps UK AID Direct has taken to ensure that a proportion of UK Aid funds to Nigeria are dedicated to (1) reducing conflict based on religion or belief, and (2) promoting freedom of religion and belief in the region.

Lord Benyon: Insecurity has impeded on the rights of people of all faiths in Nigeria. UK Aid Direct closed in October 2023 but the UK continues to support Nigeria to deliver on its constitutional commitment to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) through our development programming and security cooperation. Since 2020, we have provided over £80,000 in funding to promote FoRB in Nigeria, including peacebuilding projects to build dialogue between religious groups, in Plateau, Kaduna, Benue and Niger States. In April 2023 we launched the £40 million Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria programme (SPRING) to help Nigeria tackle the causes of conflict.

Home Office

Mistreatment of Detainees at Brook House Immigration Removal Centre Inquiry

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to publish a progress report on the implementation of recommendations from the Brook House Inquiry report, published on 19 September.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Government is carefully considering the findings of the Brook House Inquiry in its detailed report, including the recommendations in relation to the management of the immigration detention estate and the welfare of detained individuals. There are currently no plans to publish a progress report.

Asylum: Deportation

Lord Scriven: To ask His Majesty's Government, followingthe Supreme Court judgment on the use of Rwanda for extradition of those seeking asylum who arrive to the UK by irregular routes, what assessment if any they have made of each of the countries listed in Schedule 1 to the Illegal Migration Act 2023 (Countries or territories to which a person may be removed) to determine if they have any similar features as laid out in the Supreme Court's judgment and therefore would make them illegal to send asylum seekers too.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The list of countries in Schedule 1 of the Illegal Migration Act 2023 is an amalgamation of the lists of safe counties currently set out in section 94(4) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 and paragraph 2 of Schedule 3 to the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act 2004 with the addition of the Republic of Rwanda and the exclusion of Ukraine. The Home Office regularly reviews country situations and the countries listed have been found to be safe. The Government is considering the outcome of the Supreme Court’s judgment on the Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP) with Rwanda and its application to the Illegal Migration Act, including the Schedule 1 list. If we were to seek to remove a third country national to any of the countries listed under Schedule 1, they would have the opportunity to raise if they would have a risk of serious and irreversible harm if removed to that country. An individual would not be removed to that country if it was found that there was such a risk.

Migrants: Detainees

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to revise and re-issue guidance on adults at risk in immigration detention, which was last published in May 2021, as set out in section 59 of the Immigration Act 2016.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: As set out by Lord Murray during the passage of the Illegal Migration Bill through parliament, the Home Office will be updating the Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention policy to work with provisions in the Illegal Migration Act. In accordance with section 59 of the Immigration Act 2016, amendments to the statutory guidance will be laid before parliament by statutory instrument in due course.A separate, broader review of the Adults at Risk policy is also currently being undertaken and includes reviewing Rule 34 and Rule 35 of the Detention Centre Rules 2001.

Asylum: Detainees

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish a response to the UN Evaluation of the Refugee and Migrant Advice Service’s Alternative to Detention Pilot, published on 23 August.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The published Home Office response to the evaluation of the Refugee and Migrant Advice Service pilot is included within the evaluation report at Appendix C.

Migrants: MOD Wethersfield

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government how many general practitioners are stationed on site at MDP Wethersfield; and how regularly is this service accessible for migrants being housed at MDP Wethersfield.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The site has on-site primary healthcare delivered throughout the day by a local healthcare provider during normal working hours Monday to Friday. The medical centre is open for 12 hours on arrival days.This is run by healthcare professionals, a doctor, nurse practitioners, and health care assistants, who offer systematic heath assessments and are able to prescribe medication.

Undocumented Migrants: Age Assurance

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask His Majesty's Government how many age assessments by border staff were overturned after a full Merton assessment conducted by local authority social workers over the last two years.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: We are unable to provide the information requested as this is on live operational data and is subject to change. Published statistics on age disputes can be found at: Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Asylum: Children

Lord Scriven: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Sharpe of Epsom on 23 November (HL192),of those unaccompanied children seeking asylum who are placed in hotels awaiting placement with a local authority who either have documents or do not require an age assessment, (1) how, and (2) when, their age is entered onto theoperational databases referred to; when it is done so; and by whom its quality is assured.

Lord Scriven: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Sharpe of Epsom on 23 November (HL192), of those unaccompanied children seeking asylum over the last two years who have had to be placed in a hotel whilst awaiting to be placed with a local authority, what percentage either (1) had documents, or (2) did not require an age assessment.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Many of those arriving in the UK who claim to be children, often do not have clear evidence such as an original passport or identity document to back this up.In the absence of documentary evidence, Home Office officials will treat a claimant as an adult if their physical appearance and demeanour very strongly suggests that they are significantly over 18 years of age, in-line with the Home Office’s published age assessment policy. This is carried out by two Home Office officials who independently assess whether a claimant is an adult.The age provided through evidence or through the assessment carried out upon the person’s entry to the UK is entered into Home Office systems within 24 hours of their arrival in the UK.A sample of data is quality assured as standard practice.

Hate Crime: Ethnic Groups

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government, following the demonstration against antisemitism which took place in London on 26 November, what steps they are taking to (1) combat hate crimes, and (2) ensure safety for minority communities.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: This Government is clear that all forms of hate crime are completely unacceptable. We have a robust legislative framework and expect the police and CPS to fully investigate these abhorrent offences and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice. We are supporting the police by providing them with the resources they need, including having recruited 20,000 additional police officers by March 2023. We expect the police to enforce the law where appropriate to protect communities and maintain public order.In response to the spikes in antisemitic and anti-Muslim hatred across the UK as a result of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, we are providing the Community Security Trust (CST) with additional funding of £3 million to provide security at Jewish schools, synagogues and other Jewish community sites, bringing total funding for CST through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant to £18 million in 2023/24.This level will be maintained for 2024/25. The Government is also providing £7 million over the next three years to ensure that more support is in place for schools and universities to tackle antisemitism. We have made £4.9 million available to provide additional protective security at mosques and Muslim faith schools, bringing the total funding to £29.4 million this year; this level of funding will also be maintained for 2024/25. In January 2023, the Department for Education invited headteachers of all DfE-registered Muslim faith schools to register for protective security measures: 116 Muslim faith schools have enrolled to date.

Department for Education

University Jewish Chaplaincy: Antisemitism

Lord Wasserman: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their announcement in the Autumn Statement to make up to £7 million available to tackle antisemitism in schools and universities, whether they intend to allocate some of those funds to the University Jewish Chaplaincy, a charity which employs professional chaplains to provide support to Jewish students.

Baroness Barran: Following the Autumn Statement announcement, the government is preparing to issue an invitation for interested organisations to tender for contracts to tackle antisemitism in schools, colleges and universities. The tender process will be run in accordance with the Public Contract Regulations 2015. The University Jewish Chaplaincy may wish to consider submitting a bid in response to the invitation to tender.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Charities and Food Banks: Government Assistance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support local charities and food banks during the increased cost of living.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: His Majesty’s Government understands that the cost of living is affecting many civil society organisations, which are seeing increased demand as well as higher running costs. That is why, in the Budget this Spring, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a package of over £100 million for charities and community organisations across England.This funding is split into two strands and is supporting organisations in need right now. The £76 million Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund has closed for applications, and is awarding funding to frontline organisations supporting vulnerable people and households.The second strand, the £25.5 million Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise Energy Efficiency Scheme, is now open for applications. Eligible frontline organisations can first apply for an independent energy assessment, and can then apply for a capital grant of between £2,000 and £150,000 to install capital energy measures. Applications for assessments are now open, and applications for capital funding will be open from January 2024. More information can be found at www.groundwork.org.uk/vcseenergyefficiency.HM Government is also supporting all organisations, including civil society ones, with their energy bills until March 2024 through the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.

Casement Park: Euro 2028

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government which departments are engaging with the Irish Football Association in relation to the UEFA Euro 2028 Casement Park project.

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government when they first discussed the inclusion of Casement Park in the UEFA Euro 2028 bid.

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government how much they have spenton any aspect of the Casement Park redevelopment, including any estimate for time spent by civil servants.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Casement Park was confirmed as a proposed stadium for Euro 2028 in the final bid of April 2023. The Sub-Regional Stadia Programme, including the redevelopment of Casement Park, is the responsibility of the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport engages with its partners in Northern Ireland, as do other Government Departments – including the Northern Ireland Office and HM Treasury – on plans to deliver Euro 2028 and to make sure the tournament leaves a lasting legacy of football for all.We will continue to analyse relevant proposals and business cases for Casement Park, to ensure that we are making the best use of resources to support the success of the tournament.

British Museum: Art Works

Lord Boateng: To ask His Majesty's Government when they last discussed the return of artefacts of disputed ownership held in the British Museum with (1) a visiting head of state, or (2) another government.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: His Majesty’s Government has regular discussions with visiting heads of state and other governments about a range of issues. If items owned by the British Museum are raised in such discussions, HM Government makes clear that decisions about such items are a matter for the Trustees of the British Museum, that the Museum is prohibited by law from deaccessioning items from its collection, and that we have no plans to change the law. The Government also highlights the extensive work the British Museum does with scholars and cultural institutions around the world to deepen understanding about all the items in its collection, and to ensure that the widest possible audience can learn from and admire them.

Department for Work and Pensions

State Retirement Pensions: Canada

Lord Wasserman: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byViscount Younger of Leckie on 26 October (HL10597), when they last had discussions with the government of Canada aboutuprating UK State Pensions paid to UK pensioners residents in that country; and what was agreed at that meeting.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Government of Canada last raised this issue during a meeting on 17 April 2023. Following this meeting, the UK Government reiterated in writing that it is not intending to change the existing social security relationship with Canada under the arrangements made in 1995 and 1998.

Cabinet Office

National Security: Procurement

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government what the timeline is for implementing the new National Security Unit for Procurement within the Cabinet Office, as set out in the Procurement Act 2023; and who will be responsible for leading it.

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the consultation process and timeline for renewal of the National Procurement Policy Statement, and which Department will be responsible for leading this.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The National Security Unit for Procurement, based in the Cabinet Office, will investigate suppliers who may pose a risk to national security and assess whether companies should be barred from public procurements. The Unit was announced as part of stepped up measures to protect national security in government contracts and will be operational in time for commencement of the Procurement Act in autumn 2024, when debarment and exclusion powers come into effect.The Cabinet Office will also lead on the new National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS). Before laying the NPPS in Parliament a Minister of the Crown must carry out such consultation as the Minister considers appropriate and make any necessary changes as a result of it. Further details will be announced in the coming months.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Pets: Disease Control

The Earl of Leicester: To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect theVeterinary Medicines Directorate to report on their research into potential environmental exposure pathways for flea and tick products.

Lord Benyon: The research in question is currently under peer review. Although publication is anticipated in the next few months, it is not possible to give an exact time due to the external peer review process.

Wines: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Wine (Revocation and Consequential Provision) Regulations 2023, which amend current importer labelling requirements for wine, will apply to wine entering Northern Ireland.

Lord Benyon: The Wine (Revocation and Consequential Provision) Regulations 2023 will remove the importer labelling requirement for wine imported into England. The benefits of this change will also apply to wine being moved to Northern Ireland where the Windsor Framework Retail Movement Scheme green lane arrangements are used.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Local Government: Bankruptcy

Baroness Goudie: To ask His Majesty's Government how many local authorities they estimate are on the verge of bankruptcy; and what steps o they plan to take to address this.

Baroness Penn: The Government monitors the financial health of local authorities on a regular basis using a wide range of data as well as through extensive direct engagement with councils.In 2023/24, the final Local Government Finance Settlement made available up to £59.7 billion for local government in England, an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £5.1 billion or 9.4% in cash terms on 2022/23.Individual councils are responsible for managing their budgets, and any decision to issue a Section 114 report is made locally. We stand ready to speak to any council that has concerns about its ability to manage its finances or faces pressures it has not planned for.

Levelling Up Fund

Lord Stunell: To ask His Majesty's Government which local authorities (1) made only bids to Levelling Up Fund Rounds 1 and 2 that were unsuccessful, and (2) made no bids to either round.

Baroness Penn: Over the lifetime of the Levelling Up Fund £4.8 billion has been invested into 271 projects across Great Britain.For both rounds 1 and 2, all local authorities were eligible to bid for funding. We received 305 bids in round 1 of the Fund, and 529 in round 2. A list of successful bids has been published for each of the three rounds on gov.uk, as well as analysis on the geographic and thematic split of successful and unsuccessful bids in rounds 1 and 2.Successful Round 1 bidders: LinkSuccessful Round 2 bidders: LinkRound’s 1 and 2 geographic and thematic analysis: LinkFurther details of the objectives and decision-making process are set out in published methodology notes for each round.Round 1 methodology note: LinkRound 2 methodology note: LinkRound 3 methodology note: LinkRound 1 bidders (pdf, 94.2KB)Round 2 bidders (pdf, 81.6KB)Round’s 1 and 2 geographic and thematic analysis (pdf, 76.3KB)

Department for Transport

Taxis: Licensing

Lord Moylan: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks made byEarl Howe on 22 May where he stated that they plan to "engage stakeholders on the proposal set out in the levelling up White Paper to explore transferring the responsibility for licensing taxis and private hire vehicles to upper-tier and combined authorities" during the course of this year, when they intend to initiate that process.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Department for Transport intends to carry out engagement on this issue early next year.

Motorways: Lighting

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of lamp columns on the M1 between junction 1 and junction 10 are out of light, how often lamp columns on motorways are inspected for such issues, and within what period of time they expect defective lamp columns on motorways to be repaired.

Lord Davies of Gower: There are currently 11% of lighting columns out of order on the M1 between Junctions 1- 6A and, 30.7% between Junctions 6A -10. Lighting columns are inspected every 28 days, and the repair of any faults varies depending on the nature and priority of the fault(s) in question. A typical simple fault will in most cases be repaired within 14 days.The lighting outages between M1 junctions 6a and 10 are the consequence of underground cable faults. Testing work is planned to take place in the next financial year, 2024-25, and will assess the condition of the cable network so that repairs can be prioritised alongside other asset needs.

Isles of Scilly Steamship Company

Lord Patten: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the ability of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company to continue its role as sole strategic provider of seaborn passenger traffic between the islands and mainland in the case of any sale.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Department for Transport strongly supports the reliable and accessible provision of lifeline transport services to the Isles of Scilly, as we acknowledge their importance to the Isles’ communities.It would be inappropriate for the Government to comment on private commercial issues concerning the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group.

Department of Health and Social Care

Sciensus: Standards

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of theimpact on patient safety of the reported failures of the Sciensus medicine manufacturing unit.

Lord Markham: Following a report of manufacturing error for a medicine called Cabazitaxel, inspectors from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) visited the manufacturing facility to determine the cause of the error and assess the number of patients who were impacted. Inspectors identified that four patients had received the products, and the products had been administered several weeks previously. MHRA’s review of the incident confirmed the company had already instigated measures to contact the clinicians who were responsible for the patients’ care.MHRA has taken regulatory action by means of an immediate partial suspension of the licence to manufacture held by Sciensus. This action was taken in accordance with Regulation 28 of the 2012 Human Medicines regulations and ensures that the error is prevented from being replicated whilst further long-term corrective actions are taken by Sciensus assure ongoing patient safety.

Royal Sussex County Hospital: Air Ambulance Services

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 9 December 2022 (HL3930),what assessment they have made of theimpact of the helipad atRoyal Sussex County Hospital on (1) safety relating to the cladding on the tower, and (2) noise.

Lord Markham: University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust has undertaken remedial works to fix the issues with the cladding on the helipad at Royal Sussex County Hospital. However, additional surveys have identified concerns with the glazed curtain wall. The trust is discussing these with its building contractor to determine the likely extent of additional remedial works. Noise issues are considered as part of the design of helipads as referenced in the relevant guidance from the Civil Aviation Authority, Standards for helicopter landing areas at hospitals. A copy of the guidance is attached.Standards for helicopter landing areas at hospital (pdf, 2090.4KB)

Integrated Care Boards: Procurement

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 27 November (HL409–HL412), whythe NHS Gloucestershire integrated care boards' lessons learnt report has not been published, and what assessment they have made of the public interest in publishing it following the High Court’s decision in Consultant Connect Limited v NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board [2022] EWHC 2037 (TCC), to ensure that procurement processes are followed properly by integrated care boards and without “considerable organisational bias”.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 27 November (HL409–HL412),whether the NHS Gloucestershire integrated care boards' lessons learnt report has been shared widely with NHS organisationsto ensurethat procurement processes are followed properly by integrated care boards and without “considerable organisational bias”.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 27 November (HL409–HL412),what guidance and support they are giving to integrated care boards to ensure they have procurement policies in place to ensure that procurement processes are followed properly without “considerable organisational bias”.

Lord Markham: Each commissioning organisation involved in the procurement process produced their own lessons learnt report. Decisions around the publication of ‘lessons learned reports’ are for individual integrated care boards (ICBs).With reference to guidance and support to ICBs on procurement, NHS England published the Strategic framework for the NHS Commercial Sector on 28 November 2023, a copy of which is attached.The framework aims to encourage regional collaboration between integrated care systems (ICSs) by creating regional collaborative commercial organisations. These will operate as group procurement organisations in providing the necessary system leadership, capability and capacity to deliver strategic commercial outcomes and supply chain efficiencies, and be designed against a national blueprint to ensure consistency.Every National Health Service provider will be expected to be a member of a collaborative organisation; and a senior, experienced, qualified commercial leader will be appointed to run and promote each organisation at an executive-level, with ownership for commercial strategy and all non-pay spend.Strategic framework for NHS Commercial (pdf, 200.5KB)

Blood

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to maximise supply of plasma-derived products, including immunoglobulins and albumin, for medicines that have the potential to improve outcomes for patients.

Lord Markham: In February 2021, the Government lifted a ban on using plasma from donors in the United Kingdom for immunoglobulin medicines, following a review by the independent experts of the Commission on Human Medicines.Now the ban has been lifted, plasma from UK donors can again be used to manufacture these life-saving immunoglobulin medicines for National Health Service patients, reducing the reliance on imports.The Department, NHS Blood and Transplant, NHS England and the devolved administrations are working together to create a long-term domestic supply of plasma. Three plasma donor centres in Reading, Twickenham and Birmingham are now collecting plasma. A fractionator has been appointed to manufacture this plasma into medicines and we expect shipments to start to the fractionator in summer 2024 with the medicines being made available exclusively to NHS patients from early 2025. This will allow the UK to achieve 25% self-sufficiency with the ambition of further increasing to above 30% in subsequent years.

NHS: Drugs

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with NHS England about their desktop review of national home care medicines, and whether they will publish the terms of reference and timetable for this review.

Lord Markham: We have had no specific discussions. NHS England’s desktop exercise to review homecare medicines services is not guided by terms of reference. The next steps are to bring together data from the desktop exercise with the House of Lords inquiry report recommendations to shape a programme of work on homecare medicines. The Committee will be updated on progress in January and March 2024.

Health Professions

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for raising public awareness of the use of medical associate professions in the NHS.

Lord Markham: The Department is committed to ensuring that the public are aware of the role of physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) in the National Health Service. The introduction of regulation by the General Medical Council will also provide a standardised framework of governance and assurance for the clinical practice and professional conduct of PAs and AAs and make it easier for employers, patients, and the public to understand the relationship between this role and that of doctors. In implementing the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, NHS England is working with the relevant professional colleges and regulators, to ensure the roles are expanded safely and effectively. NHS England has produced patient-facing materials that have been shared widely with general practices to support patient awareness and understanding of the PA role. NHS England has also utilised media assets in a large-scale social media campaign targeted at the public to raise awareness and understanding of the AA role. These materials along with other commissioned infographic material also forms part of a longer-term communications and engagement strategy with the objective of raising public awareness of the use of medical associate professions.

Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates: Training

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding they provided to train Physician Associates and Anaesthesia Associates in 2022, and whether this funding came from the NHS workforce training budget or a from separate funding stream.

Lord Markham: In 2022/23, funding to train physician associates and anaesthesia associates was delivered through a national funding model by Health Education England’s multi professional education and training investment plan. Health Education England is now part of NHS England.

NHS: Staff

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish a progress report on the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, what the interim targets for the plan are, and how the impact of the plan will be measured.

Lord Markham: We have established a Long Term Workforce Plan Governance Board which will ensure the delivery of the Plan.The modelling that NHS England has used in the Plan is founded on data, evidence and analysis and provides a set of broad ranges to measure the potential impact of actions over its 15-year timeframe. We have committed to refreshing the modelling that underpins the plan every two years, or in line with fiscal events.

Incontinence and Urology: Health Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend toencourage NHS England to appoint a national Clinical Director for urological conditions and continence services.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implementation of NHS England guidance on Excellence in Continence Care published in June 2018.

Lord Markham: No assessment has been made of the implementation of NHS England guidance on Excellence in Continence Care published in June 2018. The Department does not intend to encourage NHS England to appoint a specific National Clinical Director for urological conditions and continence services. The decision to create such a role would be a matter for NHS England.NHS England National Clinical Directors and National Specialty Advisers are practicing clinicians from across England, providing clinical leadership, advice, input and support across distinct areas of conditions in the National Health Service including those for urological conditions and continence services. NHS England also funds Getting It Right First Time, a national programme designed to improve the treatment and care of patients through in-depth review of services, benchmarking, and presenting a data-driven evidence base to support change.

NHS: Drugs

Baroness Merron: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the National Homecare Medicines Committee will consult publicly on future key performance indicators as part of their review of national homecare medicines.

Lord Markham: Homecare performance data is collected already. 27 key performance indicators (KPIs) were developed by the National Homecare Medicines Committee (NHMC) and published by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. The performance data is not published by the National Health Service. Aligned to the NHMC consultation process, draft updated KPIs have been consulted on by members of the NHMC and the organisations they represent. Membership includes NHS trusts, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, pharmaceutical manufacturers, homecare providers and regulators. The NHMC project group is currently preparing the final draft of the updated KPIs for approval, with these being aimed for publication in the first quarter of 2024/25.

Incontinence: Health Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their response to the reportprepared by Future Healthfor Astellas Pharma Who’s Counting: The case for urgent action to improve NHS continence care, publishedin September.

Lord Markham: The Department has noted the publication of the report. In 2019, NHS England commissioned and led on the National Bladder and Bowel Health Project. The NHS England led project has been delayed due to COVID-19, with as yet no firm date set for publishing its draft report.NHS England will consider next steps on Excellence in Continence Care through the project, which aims to improve continence care across the whole public health and care system.

Blood

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of subjecting all blood and plasma-derived products to a lower payment percentage in the Statutory Scheme Consultation, below the 10 per cent that applies to older products.

Lord Markham: The statutory scheme consultation proposed that all older blood and plasma derived products should be subject to the lower 10% payment percentage. This is because we considered it would be appropriate to treat blood and plasma derived products differently as they are a strategically important category that has consistently been subject to global supply constraint over an extended period of time. We are considering the consultation responses and will publish our response in due course.

Blood

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with NHS England’s Commercial Medicines Unit on appropriately recognising the strategic importance of plasma-derived medicinal products.

Lord Markham: The Department is routinely liaising with NHS England on this strategically important work. NHS England holds the budget for the provision of plasma-derived medicines and manage the supply framework. The introduction of medicines sourced in the United Kingdom is already part of the overall strategic direction and is aligned with the Commercial Medicines Unit.NHS England has taken lead responsibility for the procurement of a fractionator to manufacture UK plasma into medicines. There are now contracts in place with the manufacturer and supplier that will provide England with 25% self-sufficiency in plasma-derived medicines, rising to 30% in the following years.

Urology: Health Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to ask NHS England and the Health Quality Improvement Partnership to conduct a clinical audit of urology services.

Lord Markham: We currently have no such plans. NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme has fulfilled an important function in terms of providing oversight of the quality and safety of urology services in England. The GIRFT programme delivered an in-depth review of every English provider and urology network in England and provided individual recommendations and recommendations at a network level.